Published on the Editorial page (page 2) of Daily Alamdar, Islamabad, on Wednesday 4 November 2026 (Vol. XVII, Issue 296), following the United Nations’ International Day of Sign Languages on 23 September.
The piece asks a simple question: can a Deaf or hard-of-hearing customer walk into a café in Lahore and independently order a cup of coffee like everyone else? It argues that accessibility has to include communication, not just physical access, and sets out practical steps cafés can take: clear visual menus, typed ordering, order numbers on screens instead of names called aloud, and staff trained to communicate respectfully.
This work connects to Awaaz Do, the initiative I founded to help cafés become more accessible for Deaf and hard-of-hearing customers.